Outsourcing Microvellum work to the wrong team is worse than not outsourcing at all — you get files that look finished and fail on the floor, and you are the one fixing them. These are the questions that tell you who actually knows the software.
- Biggest risk
- A team that ignores your library
- Tell-tale sign
- No questions about your machine
- The right test
- Start with a small, real project
Do they work in your library?
The single most important question. A team that draws in their own setup and exports to you produces files that do not match how your shop builds — wrong construction methods, mismatched hardware tokens, processing rules that fight your post. A real partner audits your library, product starters, and tokens up front and draws inside your configuration. If they do not ask to see your library, walk away.
Which machines do they post for?
Ask exactly which CNC controllers they post G-code to, and whether they will post for yours specifically — Biesse, SCM, Holzma, AXYZ, or otherwise. A vague "we handle CNC" answer means generic export and idle-machine surprises. The right answer names your make and model back to you.
Who reviews the work?
Find out who checks the set before it ships and what their background is. Drafting volume is easy to buy offshore; senior millwork review is not. Ask whether a senior reviewer marks up every set, and whether you can reach the person who drew your job. If review is "the drafter checks their own work," expect rework.
Who owns the files?
Confirm in writing that you own the native files and the CNC output for your project, and that your drawings are never reused or referenced without permission. Confirm where files are stored and whether an NDA is standard. Your client relationships and your drawings should stay yours.
How to run a low-risk trial
Do not hand a critical, deadline-driven job to an unproven team. Start with one real but contained project, give them your library, and judge the output against how your floor actually runs it. A partner worth keeping will welcome the trial — and the files will run clean.